Wheeled vehicle such as semitrailers



April /14, ;1953 R PORTE 8 WHEELED VEHICLE SUCH AS SEMITRAILERS Filed Feb. 14, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 /2 9 2 mummy /5 /3 ./5 0 H I In vanfar 55/76 Par/6 Patented Apr. 14, 1953 l I a Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WHEEIJED'.VEHICLEv SUCH HS SEMITRA ILER'S 3 Ren Porte, .-Paris,;.-France, assignor to' So'ciete' ponrwlUnion Jess-Transports ,Ferroviaires Met. Routiers (U. F RJ', Paris, France; a comoratimiof "France ApplicationzFbruary 14, 1951; Seria-PN 0. 210533 a In; France-February: 17; 19.50::

Claims. (Cl. 280-.--81).

This invention relatestowheeled vehicles such,

foraexample, as-v semi-trailers and where herein the-term:- wheeledmyehicle. is employed it is deemed to includewheeled containers.

spective of xthe skill ot" the" tractor driver-a According to the present invention there is 2 l provided a wheeled vehicle, e. g. 1ea semi' traileng having two ,wheel aXIesandameansassociated withetheirvehicle for engagement with, guide means ,adapted to '1 assistuin .centring the vehicle For fthelpur-pose of-tfacilitating the loading on 5 withrespect .to a transportingmedium such as a. to==a transportingmedium,:-such as a railway railway-wagon while the vehicle is being wheeled wagon,- of .v=wheeled.e-loadsxsuch as containers and on-totthetransporting mediumi characterised in .7 trailersysuch loads havebeen provided withaux-c that one of. said'axles is slidableaxiallyfrom its iliary rims with flanges or wheels with flanges; normal position-relative to. the chassis ...of .the so-z'that they: can-roll overzrails placed longitudivehicle. within ,predeterminedlimits'on ,thelape, nally: on: then-bottom. -'of the wagon: Centring. plication of a force appliedth'eretoina direction devicesrsituatedrin; front of a wagonto be loaded, en to: e e axle lengthwise 0f ts .aXiS facilitatethe movement: of-the vehicle wheels on: andarestoring means isprovided .itolresto're. thew tor-therails 011 113118 bottom of the wagon: axle to saidnormalupositionv.whenvsuch .forcen When :a semi-trailer withone axle has to 'be ceases to act thereon. v. loaded .oncto a railway wagon-by moving the Inone embodiment of) the invention theraxle is. trailer in reverse on to the wagon'the'centring Slidable axially-inabearingsafixed tothe suspena devicerby;co-operation "with v auxiliary flanged sionmeans for .thevehicle chassis, the .axle havrims on the wheels 'ofthe'trailer-permits errors ing.;-th-rustmembers securedtheretofor move-\ of direction, due to lack of precision associated ment therewithin thedirectionof its axis, said i with driving in reverse,-to' be automatically corthrustmembersbeing located between said bear-. rected" so that the wheelsnof the vehicle. ares and secured to-theaxleto-be equidistantaligned=withthe rails on the bottomof the wag0n.- om-t e mid-po nt there i', considered in rela- When the axle of the trailer is centredit is molt-1'10ilheipmiifion-110rmt11y0661110165.bythev a le easierforthentractor which is backingthe trailer, relative to the -lon lldinal Centre line of the so to manoeuvre that-the trailer is .guidedon to.v c e;- andvtd p W W s fitted th ;vg,1,g( n, by111135 415 (3fthe.;',1,11Xi1ia,1'y.IiIIlS,antiv roundxthe axle-to-engagethefiopposite'endsof a thisdproeedure has been commonly. carried-out; Stressed Spring locatedtherebetween, s withoutdifiiculty'for many years.v ers being =-movab1e relati-venoneto the other.-

Ifjhdwever, the trailer is fittedwith two wheel F lengthwise -0f-the axis-of the-axle and-urge y axles the .whe'elsof which are provided with aux-. he:spr n 't w r s m nt members therefor iliaryflanged rimsgdifficulties are encountered": support d fi d"- positions qu w because-if the centringdevice ,isarranged' aS- distant-from saidtvehicle centre line,-the arrangeto"centre'.the'secon'd: of the two axles, it'willfnot merit beingsuch thatron-zthe app a usable tocentr'thefirst, witho t th''necessity f' -3 forcerapplied tothe-axle-in-Ha direction tending. first laterally displacing the tractor Thi s 7 toz movewit .=lengthwise-x ofs itswaxiswone of said willfbe understood; ispracti'cally impossiblebe= ust-members moves a-the-washer associated cause-"of-thelever"armandtheconsiderable'forces" therewith irelativelyto thesfother-so that the which" wouldbe involved: spring'zactsatoprestoresth axle to its 'normal'poshv .It'=-'wi-ll'*therefore, be understood that 'a "two- 40 tion relative to the vehicle :when' said force ceases axled trailer*- cannot be 'properly loaded on toa toiactrthereon; and if 'desiredathe zthrustJmembers, wagon-unless=1whnit is reversed it is accurately may. comprise bushes'slidable inizsleeves concen"' aligned withthe'axis'of'the"wagorrandthis-can" trio therewith, the sleevesibeingp:supportedaby: bdone'only'by'the'u-se ofxceptional skill'onth'e' links connectedtheretorandxtm the. vehicle chaspart of the tractordrivere sisfil The" main 'objeot"ofthe" present-invention is so l-lowever iit may-happen :in 'certain veases that: to constr-uct a two 'axle'd wheeled-vehicleadapted owi-ng tosinkingof: the: suspensionsprings; the to be ilo'a'ded on to. a transporting machinesueh chassis becomes near t0 the ax-lefin which eventasea 'railway wagonnthat the loading on tothe a oertai-n 'degree of"play may 'foi'mr between-the transportin'gimedium':can:beasily efiected -irre abutments and the washers. While -thismlay can-not'be'great it may bersuch as to detract from the road holding capacity of the vehicle.

To avoid this play effect, in a further embodiment of the invention, the abutment members comprise distance pieces abutting the bearings for the axle and the thrust members are slidable in grooves formed in the distance pieces.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood two embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan illustrating a tractor in the process of loading a trailer unit to a railway wagon;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section, showing the arrangement of an axle on a vehicle according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the axle being shown in the off-centre position with respect to the vehicle chassis:

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section, showing an alternative axle arrangement on a vehicle according to the invention, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, the axle being shown inthe off-centre position with respect to the vehicle chassis.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a tractor I loading, in reverse, a semi-trailer 2 having two axles, on to a railway wagon 3 at the instant when the second axle 4 has been centred with respect to the wagon by a centring device 5 comprising lateral guides 6 and movable platforms 1.

The wheels of the trailer are provided with auxiliary rims having flanges 8 intended to enable them to roll on to rails 9 fixed on the bottom of the railway wagon.

It will be observed from this figure that if the first axle ID was fixed with respect to the second the tractor would not be able to straighten the trailer before the auxiliary rim of the left wheel came against the guide of the centring device thus jamming the tractor trailer unit.

If, on the other hand, the axle I is able to move axially following the guide and by reason of the movable platform on which it runs, the trailer can continue to reverse and the tractor thus have time to straighten up.

In one embodiment of the invention, to enable the axle to move axially there is employed the construction shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The axle, which is preferably of square section, is supported by suspension springs II and is mounted in bearings shown as by means of collars l2 and in which it may slide axially.

A compression spring l3 surrounds the axle and is partly stressed between two thrust members shown as bushes l4 fixed on the axle to be equi-distant from its centre, that is in relation to the longitudinal centre line of the trailer. The ends of the spring engage washers I and tend to move them towards and against abutment members [6 so spaced relative to each other that the distance between them corresponds to that between the bushes I4. The abutment members ['6 are supported by means of tie rods II of equal length each tie rod being pivoted at one end on an abutment member and at the other on the chassis I8 of the trailer.

The bushes M are slidable axially in abutment members [-6 but the washers I5 are stopped by these latter members although being mounted for movement relative one to the other lengthwise of the axis of the axle.

The device above described operates in the following manner:

When the axle I0 undergoes no transverse force (Figure 2), it is not displaced laterally, being retained in this, its normal, position by the normal stress in the spring I3.

When the axle is acted upon by a transverse force, for example by reason of the pressure of one of the guides of the centring device on one of the auxiliary rims (Figure 3), the axle slides through the collars l2.

The bush H on the side from which the force acts slides through the abutment member associated therewith and further compresses the spring 13 through the washer against which it bears, the other end of the spring being held against the opposite washer which is abutting the abutment member through which the other bush slides freely.

When the transverse force ceases to act the axle takes up its normal position under the action of the compressed spring [3.

Referring to the alternate embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the axle ID is slidable in bearings 12 as described above.

A coil spring [3 surrounds the axle and is normally held in a partly compressed state by means of washers l5 between thrust members l9 which are fixed to the axle. Between distance pieces 20 which abut against the bearings l2, there is a space equal to that between the thrust members 19 so that in the normal position of the arrangement illustrated (Fig. 4) the washers l5 engage both the thrust members I9 and the distance pieces 20.

In operation, when a guide such as rail 6 bears against the flange 8 of a wheel it forces the axle transversely, the latter compresses the spring I3 through one of the washers 1-5 acted upon by its associated thrust member is, while the other washer i5 is held in place by its associated distance piece 20 thus preventing any displacement of the spring on this side.

When the transverse force ceases to act the spring I3, as described above, returns the axle to its normal position.

The abutment members l9 are slidable in grooves formed in the distance pieces 20 these grooves preferably taking the form of key slots.

I claim:

1. In a road vehicle adapted to be loaded on railroad cars and like carrying vehicles having longitudinal guiding means for receiving the road vehicle, in combination, a chassis, a fixed axle secured to said chassis, spaced apart bearings secured to said chassis and disposed under said chassis symmetrically to the axis thereof, an axially movable axle supported in said bearings and slideable in said bearings in response to lateral thrusts exerted at an end thereof, abutment 'members fixed to said axle in spaced apart relationship between said bearings, a spring surrounding the axle between said abutment members, and stop means limiting outward axial movement of said spring, but allowing free axial movement of said axle and said abutment members, whereby said spring normally holds said axle in predetermined position in said bearings but permits resilient axial displacement of said axle with concurrent compression of said spring in response to lateral thrusts imposed upon aid axle, returning said axle to its original position in said bearings upon cessation of said thrusts.

2. A load vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said abutment members comprise annular elements secured to said movable axle and said stop chassis, whereby said rods are transversely 10 Number crossed.

6 5. A road vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said stop members comprise sleeves slidably mounted upon said axle and held against axially outward movement by said bearings.

RENE FORTE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,857,234 Buquor May 10, 1932 

